Konnor Griffin Shares Pirates' Humorous Approach To Challenge System

Q: What is the Automated Ball-Strike system in Major League Baseball?

The Automated Ball-Strike system allows players to challenge missed calls on balls and strikes, providing them with a recourse that was previously unavailable.

Q: How do players initiate a challenge under the new system?

Players must initiate the challenge themselves and do so almost immediately, without consulting the dugout for assistance.

Q: What are the risks of challenging a call in high-pressure situations?

Challenging a call in high-pressure situations involves more risk, as players must decide quickly whether to challenge based on their own assessment of the play.

Konnor Griffin Shares Pirates' Humorous Approach To Challenge System

TL;DR

Konnor Griffin discusses the Pittsburgh Pirates' humorous take on the new Automated Ball-Strike system in Major League Baseball. This system allows players to challenge missed calls, requiring them to act quickly and rely on their own judgment.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin

Konnor Griffin Shares Pirates' Humorous Approach To Challenge System originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Automated Ball-Strike system made an immediate impact on Major League Baseball. The system provides players with recourse against missed calls when they previously had none. Arguing about balls and strikes often led to ejection, and the new system allows players to ask for correction.

Unlike challenges in most sports, the review has to be initiated by the players and has to be done nearly immediately. They can't look to the dugout for help, meaning they have to trust their own eyes. They also have to know when to challenge, taking on more risk in higher leverage situations.

Because the system is so new, teams are still figuring out the best way to deploy it. Pittsburgh Pirates star shortstop Konnor Griffin isn't very experienced with the system, given that he only played five games at Triple-A Indianapolis before being called up to the majors. Still, he understands how valuable those challenges are.

"There's a strategy to it," Griffin said on Mostly Sporty with Mark Titus & Brandon Walker. "Try not to use it early in the game unless it's obvious the pitch was nowhere near a strike. Try to save them for later in the game, big situations."

In his short major league career, Griffin is 1-1 on challenge attempts. In Triple-A, he was 0-1. That missed challenge might have come with consequences.

"When I was in Indianapolis for five games, the rule was, if you challenge a pitch and it's a full ball in the zone and it's a strike, you gotta buy the whole team donuts," Griffin said.

Griffin made the challenge on March 28. According to the graphic provided by Baseball Savant, the ball was clearly a strike, landing entirely over the plate. Fortunately for Griffin, he signed a sizeable contract not long after his failed challenge attempt, so the donuts shouldn't have hurt too much.

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